Features

Simple interface that makes it easy to add tasks and see an overview of what you need to accomplish in a given day.

Enter new tasks with your voice.

Share lists with your friends, family, and whoever else you want.

Syncs wirelessly to the cloud so you can access your tasks on any iOS or Android device.

Set task deadlines by time or create reminders with location alerts.

Quickly postpone tasks to other times when needed with a quick couple of taps.

Add new tasks by email by sending them to do@any.do from the email address you registered with.

Where It Excels

Any.DO excels in its simplicity without neglecting important features. You can easily adds tasks through typing or talking and then schedule them with a tap. When tasks come with important deadlines, you can add reminders based on time and location. For those with both iOS and Android devices, you get free apps for both so you don't have to pick a platform. Any.DO syncs to the cloud so you'll always have your task list on each device.

Where It Falls Short

Any.DO has a few notable shortcomings. It lacks desktop apps and an online interface (although it does have a Chrome extension), so if you don't have a mobile with you then you can't get to them. (If you need greater cross-platform support, you might want to check out Wunderlist and Todoist, but we'll have more on these in the competition section.) Any.DO makes its primary tasks so simple that users might find it a little difficult to locate certain features, but a little effort will solve that problem in no time.

The Competition

Any.DO makes for our third app directory to-do list pick on iOS. We started with Wunderlist, moved on to Orchestra because it had a better feature set, and have now passed the trophy on once more since Orchestra ceased development. It's hard to pick the best to-do app on any platform because so many provide a great experience and everybody needs something a little bit different. For that reason, you may find the competition section more valuable than the text that preceded it.

Wunderlist (Free) is our previous reigning champion, unseated by Orchestra. Much like its Windows and Mac counterparts, it focuses on the features you need to manage your tasks and doesn't bother with much else. You can create multiple lists, add tasks to those lists (or just add them), sort by due date and priority, add notes for context, and check items off when you're done. Tasks can also be added via email and everything syncs with Wunderlist's servers. Because Wunderlist is available on practically every platform, including the web, you can easily access your to-dos from anywhere. It's a very solid choice, and costs you nothing.

Mac OS X is blessed (or perhaps plagued) with more to-do apps than you could ever use. Our favorite …
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Todoist (Free) works a lot like Wunderlist. It costs nothing, has an even simpler interface, syncs to the cloud, works on 11 different platforms, and structures itself in pretty much the same way. It sports a minimalist interface, which will feel right at home with iOS 7, and provides a pleasant overview of your day.

As of iOS 5, iPhone users have a built-in app called Reminders which provides very simple task management. While not the most robust option, you get a couple of killer features. First, you can add tasks through Siri so you don't even have to open the app to use it. You can't add to specific lists this way, but you can add simple reminders. When you create a reminder, you can set a time-based due date or a location-based one. That means if you need to remember to take the dog out when you get home you can have your phone buzz with that task the moment you arrive. While Reminders didn't come up with this first and several other apps offer it, the feature is nonetheless welcome and very helpful. If you don't like Apple's built-in location-aware option, however, ReQall (Free), Tasker ($3) and TaskAware ($10) are alternatives.

For those of you who like notebook-style, well-design to-dos, you'll want to look at EgretList ($3) is a pretty great option. It allows you to attach relevant media to your tasks and even includes faux-sticker packs that can be used to indicate what kind of item you're adding. It syncs with Evernote so you can access your list from practically any desktop platform or the web. Alternatively, you have AwesomeNote ($4) and...

2Do ($10) doesn't come cheap, but it does provide you with a very comprehensive feature set. You get a stylish tabbed interface to look at all your lists, you can create actionable tasks that include things like calls to make or text messages to send, you can record meetings, and do a whole lot more. You'll pay a lot more, too, but some may find it worthwhile.

If you're looking for simple-syncing options, Toodledo ($3) is worth a look. You can add tasks, sort them easily, create locations reminders, and sync with Toodledo.com. Another similar, long-time favorite is Remember the Milk (Free-ish). You can use the app to remind you or you can have it send you emails, text messages, and more to make sure you do not forget anything ever again. It syncs with RememberTheMilk.com, of course, and offers push notifications, smart lists, task prioritization, and plenty of other features (some of which are premium and require a subscription, by the way).

When you're aiming for simplicity and minimalism, TeuxDeux ($3) is the app you're going to want. You just add items by day (or under the "Someday" header) and that's about it. It keeps things extra simple so all you have to worry about is adding tasks.

Lastly we have Things ($10) and OmniFocus ($20), which make up for the pricier side of the to-do apps. Like their Mac OS X counterparts, they concentrate on the Getting Things Done (GTD) system. If you need a solid GTD app, both of these are great choices.

Got a favorite we missed? Share it in the comments!

Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.